Improvement in guard-fingers for harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. MANNY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUARD-FINGERS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,150, dated June 26, 1855.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. MANNY, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Guard-Fin gers of Reaping and Mowing Machines, of which the fol-lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which-- Figure 1 is an isometrical representation of a part of the finger-bar of a mowing-machine having three fingers attached to it. Fig. 2 is a like representation ot' the same parts inverted. Fig. 3 represents a plan of the srne parts seen on the under side. Fig. 4 is an isometrical representation of one of the lingers detached from the finger-bar, the cap ot' the nger being removed and shown in an inverted position in Fig. 5, while a modified form of this cap without a shank is shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 7 represents a section at the line w so of Fig. l.

My invention consists in placing the neck of the lower part of the guard-finger obliquely` to the direction in which the nger points, by which arrangement the tendency of grass, 85o., to lodge is diminished.

I make the caps of the guard-lingers concave, the axis of the concavity being in the direction ot' the length of the finger, and the arch rising and widening toward the rear of `the cap, to cause grass or other obstructions that may enter beneath the cap topass backward and be discharged before a sutcient quantity can accumulate to wedge in tightly and clog thc sickle.

I form the transverse ribs across the front portion oi:` the shank of the finger whose ends vare oblique, so as te forni an acute angle at the front corner, which will act as a scraper or knife to detach grass, grain, &c., that may be hanging over the back of the sickle-stock, while the front side of these ribs will furnish abearing for the back of the stock to work against, these ribs being interrupted by the removal of a section out of the middle to form a gap which widens toward the bottom to facilitate the discharge of gum, grass, &c., that may be detached from the .sickle and enter these spaces.

I nJthe accompan yin g drawings, Arepresents the finger-bar, which may be made of the usual or of any convenient size and material.

B is the lower part of the guard-inger,wl1ich 1 is seen detached in Fig. d. The front part or point d of this tinger is represented of the improved form described in my former patents, and is connected to the shank I), by which the finger is attached to the finger-bar by means of an oblique neck, c., ot' snticient strength to support the point, as itis notl intended in all cases to connect the cap D with the finger-bar to aid in supporting the finger, for it is found that in man y cases the shank of the cap affords a lodguient for grass and other obstructions, which are freely discharged when the cap is made Without a shank, as shown in Fig. 6. In order to avoid crooking this neck into a form approximating the letter S, to prevent acute angles between the shank and finger, I have cut out the rear part of the point so as to form a space, d, in front of the neck, and I have also cut away the front part of theshank b, so as tp form a space, e, behind the neck, which spaces, particularly as their angles are rounded and they. are made widest at the lowe'r end, prevent the binding or clogging of grass therein that would take place if the angles were left acute. ltibsfare formed on each side of the front part ofthe shank, leaving a space, e,.be

tween them for the descent of such matter as.

widens and rises towardthe rear end of the cap, so that, while it aitords as free a discharge 'for grass, Cnc., as the open-top cap, it is free from the objection to which the open-top cap is liable of admitting obstructions from above. This cap, t0 produce the best effect, should be madeiseparate from and connected with the lower part of the point by means ofthe improved joint secured to me bya former patent; but it may be made in one piece with the lower partof the nger if any constructor pref Forming the nger with an oblique neck, fers that mode of construction. My invention arranged substantially' in the manner and for. in this particular relates to the form of the the purpose herein set forth. cap, not to the manner of connecting it with In testimony 'whereofI have hereunto subother parts. The rear of this cap may haven. scribed my name. shank, y, extending over the nger-bar and be fastened thereto by means of a screw or otherwise. Witnesses:

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire t0 P. H. WATSON, secure by Letters Patent, is- F. G. DE FDNTAIN-E.

JOHN H. MANNY. 

